He missed out on three rides in Cheltenham as a result. Jockey Tom Bellamy failed a breath test at Cheltenham on Monday morning, with “alcohol above the threshold level for breath samples.” He was down for three rides on the New Year’s Day card in Pretsbury park, including Splash Of Ginge in the big handicap […]

8 years ago

It just goes to show you

8 years ago

GAA Royal Rumble. Don’t try this at home. The hardiest boys in the land. Just imagine it for a second. Noel Connors and Johnny Small are slugging it out in the corner of the ring. Sean Murphy is climbing the top ropes and getting the crowd going as he does it. He’s lining up Diarmuid […]

8 years ago

Joseph O’Brien is a patient man. A patient man in a hurry. Joseph’s father Aidan first took out a trainer’s licence in 1993, and he’s been the Champion trainer in Irish flat racing for every year since 1999. From 1993 to now, Aidan O’Brien has cemented his place in the history books as the most […]

8 years ago

From Waterford, Limerick, Kilkenny, Westmeath and Galway

8 years ago

The unsung heroes of hurling. Now’s their time. Let them sing their song. For one reason or another, these players don’t get the credit their performances deserve. These are the lads that you can always rely upon to deliver the goods, the lads that won’t let you down in the heat of battle. They do […]

8 years ago

Club hurling, you can’t beat it. And the best thing is, the business end is only around the corner to warm us into another GAA year. Without further ado, here’s the best of the best of the best. 1. Goalkeeper – Anthony Nash (Kanturk, Cork) Saving penalties at one end, scoring them at the other. […]

8 years ago

It’s been a cracking season of club football. The best thing is, it’s not over yet. As the new year begins, for the club players lucky enough to be still involved, heads will turn to the business end of the All-Ireland club Championship. Our eyes will be watching closely. 1. Goalkeeper – Shane Murphy (Dr. […]

8 years ago

The men behind the silks. The horse-racing season is kicking into swing over the next few days, with the Leopardstown Christmas festival and the King George in Kempton. Before we know it, it’ll be March and Cheltenham will be here. We all think we know everything about horse-racing then, how much do we know now? […]

8 years ago

Oh yes! Plonk yourself on a chair in the pub or a couch at home and don’t even think of moving for the rest of St. Stephen’s day. This is what you’ve been dreaming about, this is what has got you through those slogs and slumps in work. Relax, take it easy, turn on the […]

8 years ago

A must-see for Galway hurling fans

8 years ago

There’s something about the lefties. There’s something magic about watching a left-footer in full flight. Maybe it’s because they’re in the minority and what’s rare is wonderful. Maybe it’s because of this rarity that we hype them up so much, or maybe, maybe it really is just beauty. We think it’s beauty. There have been […]

8 years ago

West Ham have had an £8 million bid rejected for Bournemouth’s Harry Arter. Arter has been a target for David Moyes since he took over at West Ham recently, with the Scot desperate to sign a midfielder in the January transfer window. Arter had been a regular for the Cherries at the start of the […]

8 years ago

We’ve had better days, that’s for sure. Nine Premier League games took place on Saturday and there was Irish involvement in four of them. Burnley vs. Tottenham Hotspur Irish players Kevin Long and Jeff Hendrick were named in Sean Dyche’s starting lineup for the high flying Clarets’ clash with Spurs, while Jonathan Walters was named […]

8 years ago

Living up to the hype. “One of the greatest games we’ve ever seen on the Alexander Palace stage,” said the Sky Sports commentators. Few onlookers could argue with that. Rob Cross and Michael Smith played out a cracking second round clash on Saturday in London, with the former eventually winning out after 7 ferocious sets. […]

8 years ago

34 years young. Kris Boyd was once a hero at Ibrox. On Saturday the ‘Gers faithful will have been cursing their former attacker. The Kilmarnock front man turned in a vintage Kris Boyd performance in Rugby Park, notching two rather opportunistic goals to make it three home wins on the bounce for Steve Clarke’s side. […]

8 years ago

The best in the business. The life of a hurling goalkeeper, it’s a tough one, isn’t it? Any other outfield player can usually afford to drop or mis-control a ball and get away with it. Should a ‘keeper do that, and there’ll be a green flag raised and they’ll be public enemy number one. “How […]

8 years ago

“It was based on them being shite, or not being a good player, or being old.” There’s a few mouthpieces on every GAA team. They need to be riled up, they need to get cross when they’re playing, and to do this, they mouth, they mouth and they mouth. And they don’t care who they’re […]

8 years ago

Brian O’Driscoll leads the praise. Kelly Cates has fitted seamlessly into her new role as the host of Sky Sports’ Friday Night Football this season, and she was at her best last night at the Emirates Stadium for Arsenal’s entertaining 3-3 draw with Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool. Cates replaced last year’s hosts Rachel Riley and Jeff […]

8 years ago

Just millimetres from perfection. Again. Paul Lim is something of a cult hero in the darts world. He’s 63 years of age, and he’s still going strong more than 36 years since his debut on the professional scene. In 1990, as a sprightly 36-year-old, Lim became the first man to hit a nine dart finish […]

8 years ago

Michael Van Gerwen is in the groove. And when Michael Van Gerwen’s in the groove, with his steely eyes fixated on the board, with his veins popping from his head and with the darts arrowing from his fingers to whatever destination in the world he wants, nothing else really matters. Because his opponents can try, […]

8 years ago

They’ve arrived and they’ve arrived in some style. Diogo Partela became the first ever Brazilian to play in the World Darts Championships on Thursday night when he took on the Scottish number two seed, Peter Wright to a cacophony of noise in Alexander Palace. The Brazilians were out in force in the London venue to […]

8 years ago

Devon Petersen, take a bow. South African darts player Devon Petersen was in a typically relaxed mood prior to his clash with English 23rd seed Darren Webster in the first round of the World Darts Championship in Alexander Palace on Thursday night. The 31-year-old Capetown native, known as the African Warrior, is held in affection […]

8 years ago

They’re loved far and wide. We’re talking about the lads who wear their hearts on their sleeves. We’re talking about the lads who are themselves, who do what they want to do, and don’t conform to the modern GAA cliches that we’re all too familiar with at this stage. They’ve no limitations, they’ll say what’s […]

8 years ago

These lads are coming back and they’re mad to hit the ground running. Nothing whets the appetite more than watching other lads take your place on the GAA field and perform well. You could be suspended or injured, you could be on the other side of the world, but watching a game that you could […]

8 years ago

These lads have been missing in action. And their counties have certainly missed them. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and these great white hopes are set to return to their county’s football set-ups and right all the wrongs of last year, and all previous years. These boys are going to come in and freshen […]

8 years ago

Only in the Carabao Cup, isn’t that what they always say? Manchester United have been knocked out of the English Football League Cup by Bristol City. A last minute Korey Smith goal at the Ashton Gate stadium gave the home side a 2-1 lead and prevented this tie from going to extra-time, though some Manchester […]

8 years ago

He’s enjoyed some career

8 years ago

13th seed Michael Smith must have wondered what he had to do to shake off Steve Lennon. Because the Irish man made him dig deep. He made the favourite trawl deep into his reserves to secure that one. On his World Championship debut, Carlow man Steve Lennon put up a brave fight against English hope […]

8 years ago

Watch this space. With 2017 drawing to a close, the build-up to next year’s pre season games and the National League is about to swing into motion. A few new faces will be blooded with teams experimenting in the early rounds. Chances will be given, chances will be taken. Here’s the lads who deserve it […]

8 years ago

Which was better? Sport is all about the now. It’s easy to become a forgotten man. It might only take a week, it might only take a day, but there’s never room for sentiment and yesterday’s achievements become a thing of the past just like that. Sporting audiences are insatiable. Impress them and they’ll be […]

8 years ago

Noel O’Brien was the biggest legend in horse racing. Well, he was in my brother’s and in my eyes anyway. I remember my first meeting with the great man. It was in Thurles racecourse. I was only about 10 but it wasn’t my first day out racing. My brother and I marvelled at the beautiful […]

8 years ago

“I enjoy the craic, I have a bit of fun, if someone talks shit to me, I’ll sort them out.” Jason Quigley has no problems with his confidence. The outspoken Donegal man is who he is and he won’t change that for anybody. His self-belief is unwavering, and his 13-0 record in professional boxing backs […]

8 years ago

Tougher than it sounds. Most hurling fans are able to recognise the high profile hurlers. The man-of-the-match winners, the award winners – the likes of Seamus Callanan, the likes of Austin Gleeson. But as some hurling veterans often say, helmets have changed the game, and hurlers are no longer instantly recognisable. So would you recognise […]

8 years ago

The Tyrone ladies football team spent €13’000 on arranging a pitch for training in 2017. €13’000. And it’s a pitch owned by the Tyrone county board. The Tyrone GAA Garvaghey Centre is a £6.7 million facility that was built in 2013 for the use of Tyrone GAA teams for years to come. The county’s ladies […]

8 years ago

A good decision moving forward. Declan Hannon has been announced as the Limerick hurling captain for the 2018 season, with Bruff’s Paul Browne named his vice-captain. The Adare club man takes over from the retired James Ryan as the captain of John Kiely’s charges. Declan Hannon is Limerick Senior Hurling Captain:Limerick senior hurling management team […]

8 years ago

Football’s loss has been hurling’s gain. Eoin Cadogan has left the Cork footballers for the 2018 season in favour of playing with the county’s hurlers, as Tony Leen reported in the Irish Examiner on Friday, and on closer examination, it’s no real wonder he came to that decision. This is undoubtedly a huge boost to […]

8 years ago

Colm Parkinson put it perfectly. “You can’t play at inter-county level year after year and be a mad man. It just doesn’t work like that. Maybe in the context of your teammates, you might be a bit wilder, but that doesn’t mean you’re this deranged person people are expecting.” Because let’s not lie about it. […]

8 years ago

This is poxy of the highest order but these expats would actually do anything to play the game they love

8 years ago

Celtic fans will be buzzing about this. James McClean has never been too shy to express his affinity to Celtic. Like a true ‘Bhoy’, he’s enjoyed Rangers’ fall from grace over the last few years but not more so than Celtic’s rise. https://twitter.com/JamesMcC_14/status/911495733106413569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportsjoe.ie%2Ffootball%2Fjames-mcclean-cleans-rangers-fans-savage-insult-137732 The West Brom winger grew up in Creggan in Derry, a place […]

8 years ago

Some contrast. GAA players are often afraid of saying too much in an interview for fear of being accused of being “big headed” as Cork camogie star Ashling Thompson puts it. There are exceptions to the rule. Take Westmeath’s John Heslin, take Limerick’s Shane Dowling, but for the most part, they’ll do their best to […]

8 years ago

This is damn refreshing. Camogie is a team game, and the goal for every team setting out at the start of the year will be for their side to win, and to achieve their goals. That’s exactly what Cork did, in winning the O’Duffy cup in 2017, reversing the heartbreak they suffered to the same […]

8 years ago

This has gone on for way too long now. She’s a World Champion. She’s our World Champion. Every time she steps inside a boxing ring, it becomes hallowed, it becomes sacred. Katie Taylor is representing this country, she’s representing Ireland, and she does it with bloody pride, too. Every single time. Because Katie Taylor is […]

8 years ago

You simply won’t get more than 18/22

8 years ago

A good start to the new era. One of Pat Gilroy’s first big decisions since he took over the Dublin senior hurlers was bringing Peter Kelly and Johnny McCaffrey back into the set-up. Gilroy’s first decision was indeed a great decision. Peter Kelly and Johnny McCaffrey were dropped from the Dublin hurling panel by Ger […]

8 years ago

He has all the credentials. Kilkenny legend Henry Shefflin will co-manage the Ballyhale Shamrocks senior hurling team for the 2018 season with his brother Tommy, according to reports from the Kilkenny People. This is the 38-year-olds first time to enter the GAA management sphere, but his leadership qualities on the field of play always marked […]

8 years ago

The voice of Dublin. Dublin GAA don’t usually react to the noise made in the background. The players play, the manager doesn’t give much away, the board rarely broach the questions that other counties are constantly asking. Certain fans in comment sections will always have their say, but rarely does an official or someone high […]

8 years ago

It’s about time they kicked on. Limerick have won two of the last three Munster and All-Ireland under-21 hurling Championships. The Treaty county’s minor hurlers have been competitive in recent times too, contesting three of the last four Munster minor finals. Yet, at senior level, success and even Championship wins have been few and far […]

8 years ago

You simpy won’t get them all right

9 years ago

Corofin and Fulham Irish have a story to tell, if nothing else. “We just got out by the skins of our teeth,” said Corofin GAA club chairman Michael Ryder. He wasn’t taking about a tight game. The All-Ireland quarter-final between Corofin and Fulham Irish was postponed on Sunday because of a snow-covered McGovern Park in […]

9 years ago